The Copper Scroll: From a Treasure List to a National Infrastructure Survey? 1. Introduction: The Hydraulic Paradigm Since its discovery at Qumran in 1952, the Copper Scroll (3Q15) has presented scholars with one of the most intriguing puzzles among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Does its list of dozens of locations and enormous quantities of “gold” and “silver” describe an imaginary treasure, a concealed Temple hoard, or perhaps an administrative code referring to tangible resources of a very different kind? This article proposes examining the hypothesis that Sections 1–3 of the Copper Scroll are not descriptions of hidden precious metals, but rather the beginning of a survey and maintenance protocol for a regional water-infrastructure system in Judea during the late Second Temple period. At the center of this proposed interpretation are three elements: a possible metrological calibration of water discharge and storage volumes, a solution to the geographical circularity of the survey, and an engineering distinction between different types of water resources across the region.

2. The Hydraulic Code and Metrological Calibration — Sections 1–3 We propose that, within the engineering language of the survey, the terms “gold” and “silver” may have served as qualitative and quantitative classifications of water resources. “Silver” — surface runoff and flash-flood water: Seasonal water collected from wadis through dams, channels and storage systems — such as those associated with Wadi Qelt and Nahal Sekhakha — for infiltration, seasonal irrigation and reservoir replenishment. “Gold” — reliable freshwater springs: The region’s highest-quality water resource: fresh, flowing and relatively dependable water supplied by productive karst springs. “Ashtot” / “Kikkarin”: Units of volume or defined discharge measurements used for regulating and distributing water through channels and aqueducts. A Proposed Conversion Factor and Quantitative Calibration Comparison between the numerical information in the scroll and hydrological and archaeological data raises the possibility of a recurring 1:10 numerical conversion factor. When a section concerns discharge, one textual unit may represent approximately 10 cubic meters per hour (m³/h). When a section concerns static storage, one textual unit may represent approximately 10 cubic meters (m³) of storage capacity. Three comparisons are particularly noteworthy: Section 1 — “Ba-haruvah she-be-Emek Akhor … shidat kesef” (“In the ruin in the Valley of Achor … a container of silver.”) Under the proposed hydraulic interpretation, this section describes the capture and storage of runoff and flash-flood water — “silver” — in the Achor basin through the northern water channels. Section 2 — “Ba-nefesh, ba-nidbakh ha-shlishi, ashtot zahav 100” (“In the........

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